Triumph
by Existential Insanity
Summary: What does it mean to triumph?  Ash knows what it means to him.


A/N: I own Pokemon cartridges. That's aboot it

Pokemon - Triumph

Ash took off his hat and looked to the sky. He'd done it. He'd beaten a league. The title of Isshu Champion was now his. But he felt hollow.

Where was the feeling of triumph?

He felt triumph when he had won the right to contend. But it had left him.

He thought back to his adventures and his tough wins. Triumph returned to him fleetingly. It came to him. It wasn't the win that had been the triumph but the journey. He felt triumphant now. He had conquered a mountain. Now he had to conquer the next one. The World Pokemon League.

"Any words from our new champ?"

Ash put his hat back on and scooped up the waiting Pikachu. He smiled.

"I abdicate my position of champion."

He walked out amidst screams and boos. But the smile never left his face.

X x X x X

Brock had left him. In fact just about everyone save the Profs. Oak and his mother had stopped speaking to him. The Oaks barely tolerated him. His mother, however, understood when he had explained it to her. To climb the mountain was the triumph, not to sit at the top. When there was no mountain, what was the point?

X x X x X

He spent grueling years capturing, training, and tracking down ranked WPL members. One by one from 1000 to number 1, he found them and battled them. Slowly but surely his rank rose.

Some of the trainers he battled were old rivals, even old friends. The battles did not heal the wounds of his 'abandoning' their faith in him.

Soon instead of Ash Ketchum, the boy, Satoshi Ketchum, the man, stood poised to take the title of World's Strongest.

X x X x X

She had held the title of Strongest for almost two decades. She was nigh untouchable. Calm, cool, collected Cynthia. A team with years of experience more than his. But Satoshi had taken the low road through the swamps and forests. He had gained more experience through battling all of those ranked members and defending his own rank a few times. Over 1000 battles in 9 years since his abdication. Satoshi had countered her years of experience with constant pressure.

After all it was lonely at the top, with precious few who would attempt to take the title from her. It was number two that always had to battle. Many second ranked trainers had given up and retired, because of the constant wearing battles.

But the mountain had been climbed and the summit was in view. He had triumphed. He would take the title of World's Strongest. After, who knew?

X x X x X

"Hello, number one Cynthia," Satoshi smiled at her. A little over thirty and she was still beautiful.

"Number two, Satoshi. It is a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."

Satoshi played hurt.

"You wound me, Cynthia. We met years ago, when I attempted to take the Sinnoh league. Of course, I was Ash Ketchum then not Satoshi. And Raichu was Pikachu then."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow.

"I remeber Ash, I had you pegged as his older brother. Why the change of name?"

"I entered manhood when I abdicated the title of Isshu's Champion. It was time to take up my given name again."

"Many would say that you acted a child when you did that."

"Would you?"

Cynthia thought for a moment.

"Yes."

"Then you will lose today. Just like all the others who thought that same thing."

"We shall see."

X x X x X

The battle was relatively short. It was brutal. Cynthia's Pokemon, while not soft, had never battled Pokemon like Satoshi's. They fought as if they were backed into a corner, but without any fear. Like they were prepared and willing to die or kill for a win.

Satoshi had trained them to be so. Inadvertently, at least. His determination to climb the mountain had been worked into them. They would not lose because they could not fall down the precipice on which they now stood. Many of them had seen and fought legends. To the legendary Pokemon, they were the legends. 'Normal' Pokemon who could and did stand toe-to-toe with them.

Raichu had not evolved the normal way. Pikachu's power became so great that it created thunderstones in his cheeks. His powers had solidified and evolved him. Zapdos and Rayquza had been plenty surprised when the little mouse had warped their own powers back at them.

Charizard had thrown the massive Groudon to the ground. Withstood the flames of the ancient Pokemon. Charizard would not back down even at a severe type disadvantage, as shown by when he had attempted to para-boil Kyogre. Charizard would fight unto the death and then some. He would be a Pokemon that none would touch. Whose flame could never be extinguished, save by time or a god.

Little happy Totdile became a giant peaceful lumbering Ferligator. But within him there was a switch and the peaceful giant became a towering demon of water. Even Articuno could not freeze the torrent he could produce. Lugia, the bird-beast of the sea, could not swim in the currents of Ferligator.

Torterra had withstood attacks from even Moltres and Enkei. Only to slowly but surely, like a plant does to rock, crush them in to nothing. Regice had attempted to send the Pokemon into hibernation, but like the evergreen, Torterra withstood the winter. Strong and green, only to make it to spring once again.

Garchomp had fought against the Dragons of space and time, only to throw them down broken. Theirs attacks were far less potent when the opponent could break the sound barrier underground at a moments notice.

Zoark was a legend in his own right. A fox of fire and shadow. But even the Pokemon of nightmares shuddered to think what the fox could do. Darkrai trembled at the powerful hot dark brought to bear by Zoark. It plagued Darkrai's very own dreams.

Satoshi's had thrown down the last of Cynthia's.

"Now where can I go? I am at the pinnacle to wait for another to push me off? Where is the triumph in that? Where is the journey? There is nothing at the top. World's Strongest. That's what I am. But what will I _be_?"

It was then Cynthia understood, he_ had _become a man that day. And there she was, a little girl in his presence.

X x X x X

A/N: And there is a very philosophical question here. What is the triumph? To survive the journey? Or to finish it? For Ash, for Cynthia it become apparent that it is the surviving. The actual journeying that is the triumph, the win. Becoming strong is more victorious than being strong. Unfortunately, only by winning and finishing the journey can you prove that you have become strong. Perfection is not perfection unless it can adapt and continue to rise. At least that was what I was trying to convey.

Please review.


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